The first half when he was actively involved and spending money, and generally getting things horribly wrong. Network players and coaches, terrible Driessen signings, and Katrien hopefully out of her depth, Roland wasted a shocking amount of his own money through his own pigheadedness.
The second half after we went down was actually slightly more competent as he basically gave up on actively running us, just selling players to cover debts. He was still a rubbish owner, but less bad as he lost interest and thus a small group of competent people (in terms of the football side at least) were left to largely get on with it. It helped that in Bowyer and Gallen were 2 people he ended up respecting due to their results on and off the pitch, and thus what they said carried weight - we ended up with a far better squad this season than any of us expected as a result.
Indeed the Bowyer/Gallen era shows that if Roland had done things differently, we could have avoided the pointless relegation AND cost him less money.
There are almost too many issues to highlight. Roly’s ownership seriously exposed the ineptitude of the EFL and their refusal and inability to do anything about bad owners. it told us everything about the fit and proper owners test. The old duffer showed what’s deluded fool he was when he asked the EFL to buy the club. if we hadn’t had to live through it we’d have thought it was all the imaginings of a warped mind!
Selling Kermogant and replacing him with Reza and Polish Pete was the first sign that he didn't have a clue. Then Luzon, Fraeye, I've even forgotten Russel Slade was our manager!
Lucked into Bowyer as he couldn't be arsed to look for a replacement for KR. Then refusing to give Bowyer a contract and then 12 hours later signing him up again.
Sympathetically it’s worth saying that we were in dire straits under the previous owners and could have been in for something horrendous had Roland not purchased us.
...that being said, I think the biggest issue was that he didn’t care about the history of culture of our club (or, by extension, English football). There were basically three stages of his regime; (i) he thought he could implement his own system, (ii) got mad because he failed and was called out, and then (iii) gave up until he could sell to someone else.
He was a total prat... deep Aspergers, incapable of seeing anything other than a business structure that doesn't work...
The positives are the fact that he united us, the carpark revolt with that smiling cunt at the window taking pictures drove us all into action, so much respect for CARD and proud to have one of the official shirts.
We may, just may have got our timing right, Bowyer with 15 million is frightening for every other club in this division.
Enjoy it today guys, Ill be watching from afar as always...
I fucking love this club... I'll be proudly strutting around St Kilda today with Lyle Taylor shirt on...
Some of us don't even want to reflect on it, it was just that stressful. as some people said we did get a handful of good players out of it like yoni buyens. Yoni Buyens is worth remembering.
If Roland has not been unrealistic on his price would we have been bought by some chancers? Did he perversely do us a favour holding out for a stupid price?
A really shit time for the club that I was thinking would never end. He possessed a fatal combination of arrogance, ignorance and stubborness that led to the club shooting itself in the foot so many times I'm surprised he's got any toes left. It only took him five years to realise what he should have done in the first place and actually get people who understand football (and actually care) to run the club.
Total Cluster Fuck of an era, calamitous, Bower, Jackson & Gallen et.al., have done an extraordinary job thus far, all being well now onwards & very upwards in a controlled well managed way COYR's
Once the takeover is confirmed I want us to continue to hassle him and his businesses in Belgium. He caused so much misery that he needs to be forever reminded of our hatred for him.
We've survived and somehow managed to come out in reasonable shape. Thanks to the hard work of Lee Bowyer, Steve Gallen and Johnnie Jackson * and rest of the team. Getting Lee Bowyer in was more luck than judgement on Duchatelet's part. The takeover is great news and comes at a pivotal time.
Lets put this into perspective,when he came we were in the shit big time,he steadied the ship and we rejoiced.Sadly,he had this idea that his network system would work,he badly underestimated the strength of the championship and stuck us with players who just were not good enough.When he finally cottoned on and started employing English managers and basically letting them get on with it{sublect to financial restraints}the damage was done and he would never be forgiven.Hopefully thats it,look to the future,which if the new chairmans statement is anything to go by,we can all be very optimistic.
Meire and Driesen - total incompetence which Duchatelet has never been able to see. The supporting evidence was overwhelming. If he had spent any time in London around the club he could not have failed to see this but he couldn't be bothered.
Many posters often bring up the loss of Kermorgant as an example of a very very poor decision taken from the outset.....I took the view that the loss of Morrison was equally a poor decision, our two best players at the spine of the team gone in the blink of an eye, seemingly done just to let everyone know “who’s the boss.” From that moment on he was on the back foot and he hadn’t been in the front door but five minutes. The man has, without doubt, significant characteristic traits of sociopathic behaviour. Just how far up the scale he is I am not knowledgeable enough to ascertain.
Comments
The first half when he was actively involved and spending money, and generally getting things horribly wrong. Network players and coaches, terrible Driessen signings, and Katrien hopefully out of her depth, Roland wasted a shocking amount of his own money through his own pigheadedness.
The second half after we went down was actually slightly more competent as he basically gave up on actively running us, just selling players to cover debts. He was still a rubbish owner, but less bad as he lost interest and thus a small group of competent people (in terms of the football side at least) were left to largely get on with it. It helped that in Bowyer and Gallen were 2 people he ended up respecting due to their results on and off the pitch, and thus what they said carried weight - we ended up with a far better squad this season than any of us expected as a result.
Indeed the Bowyer/Gallen era shows that if Roland had done things differently, we could have avoided the pointless relegation AND cost him less money.
it told us everything about the fit and proper owners test.
The old duffer showed what’s deluded fool he was when he asked the EFL to buy the club.
if we hadn’t had to live through it we’d have thought it was all the imaginings of a warped mind!
Lucked into Bowyer as he couldn't be arsed to look for a replacement for KR. Then refusing to give Bowyer a contract and then 12 hours later signing him up again.
I won't miss him one bit
...that being said, I think the biggest issue was that he didn’t care about the history of culture of our club (or, by extension, English football). There were basically three stages of his regime; (i) he thought he could implement his own system, (ii) got mad because he failed and was called out, and then (iii) gave up until he could sell to someone else.
The positives are the fact that he united us, the carpark revolt with that smiling cunt at the window taking pictures drove us all into action, so much respect for CARD and proud to have one of the official shirts.
We may, just may have got our timing right, Bowyer with 15 million is frightening for every other club in this division.
Enjoy it today guys, Ill be watching from afar as always...
I fucking love this club... I'll be proudly strutting around St Kilda today with Lyle Taylor shirt on...
Come on you Addicks!
Goodbye Mr Shitweasel and good riddance. Next!
From that moment on he was on the back foot and he hadn’t been in the front door but five minutes.
The man has, without doubt, significant characteristic traits of sociopathic behaviour.
Just how far up the scale he is I am not knowledgeable enough to ascertain.
Will show for once and all what a **** he was.